Pilot control



Jul 8, 1941.

V. O. BEAM PILOT CONTROL Filed Oct. 21, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 MUD - INVENTOR. V14 run 0. Bean WM 1 A ATTORNEYS July 8, 1941. Q E M 2,248,737

PILOT CONTROL Fild Oct. 21, 1938 Z SheetS-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. 74 I V14 nwv 0. 5:4

ATTORNEYS Patented Jul 8,1941

-UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PILOT CONTROL 0. Beam, Cleveland Heights, Ohio, assignor to The Bryant Heater Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application October 21, 1938, Serial No. 236,215

zclaims.

' at its full capacity after it is automatically to such small dimensions that it will no longerheat such thermal element to the extent necessary to maintain the gas supply to the main burner, although it will still be sufflcient to light the main .burner in the event that the lattershould be turned on again before the thermal element cools completely. ,My system therefore prevents the possible explosion of gas in theshort interval after the master thermostat ceases to call for heat and before the thermal element,

which is a secondary control, cools to an extent such that it no longer maintains the gassupply to the main burner.

Another object of theinvention is the provision of a two-stage valve for the pilot fuel line ca-' pable of closing ofl the flow either partially or completely, and susceptible of automatic actuation.

Other objects and features of novelty will appear as I proceed with the description of that embodiment oi! the invention which, for the purposes of the present application, I have illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a heating coll unit which may be employed in connection with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a central vertical sectional view-taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view of apparatus and electrical connections which may be employed in carrying out the invention.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view on an enlarged scale illustratinga fragment of a two-stage pilot valve.

In carrying outthe invention I provide electrical means for operating the main valve through a circuit that includes the room thermostat switch and also a rimning switch which is arranged to be closed by a heat responsive element that functions under the influence of the flame from the pilot to close the running switch and maintain it closed so long as a full pilot flame is burning. The pilot flame always burns ignited, except during the of! cycle of the system. When the room thermostat ceases to call for heat the pilot valve is caused to close partially and the pilot flame is correspondingly reduced. At about the same time" the circuit for the main valve actuator is broken at the room thermostat switch and the main burner is turned off. The

reduced pilot flame is suflicient to ignite the main burner in the event that it should be turned on again before the running switch is opened. The reduced pilot flame, however, permits the thermal element to cool partially and contract to an extent sumcient to open the running switch, 'after which the main burner cannot be turned on again without the system going through the full lighting cycle. The reduced pilot flame continues for a deflnite time period which is materially longer than the time required to cool the thermal element to an extent suflicient to open the running switch. Thereafter the pilot valve closes com-, v

pletely and remains closed until the room thermostat again calls for heat.

.Referringflrst to Fig. 3 of the drawings, the main burner of a heating furnace is indicated at In, its supply pipe ll coming from a gas line l2 with a suitable valve I3 interposed. This valve is electrically operated .by any known means or valve motor, that illustrated herein consisting of a simple solenoid It surrounding an armature I5 upon the lower .end of which the valve is mounted.

From the gas line l2 a pipe '16 leads to a connection l'l upon a heating coil unit. that comprises a casting l8 which contains the pilot valve. This unit includes also a cover portion IQ of insulation material in which are mounted certain elec carrying thevalve piece 24. In a laterally ar-' ranged boss 26 which is part of the casting there is a drilled passage 25 which extends from the cavity 22 to a threaded socket 21 which receives the pilot tube as or a supply tube connected therewith. The upper end of this pilot is provided with gas ports 29 and ill connected by a slit 3i.

ally connected at 34 with a lever 85 that is mounted upon a pivot 88 carried by the support. The lever 35 engages the blade of a two-way switch which stands normally in the position in which it is shown in Fig. 3. When the element 32 is heated sufliciently however it elongates and swings lever 35 upon its pivot 88, thereby imparting a push to blade 31 and shifting it to the left. The switch, of which blade 81 is a part, controls the solenoid l4 and also an electric igniter 88 for the ot.

Refining now more particularly to Figs. 1, 2 and 4, the passage 2| terminates in a slightly flared opening at the top of a frustum of a cone 39. The top of this frustum is so machined as to leave a circular ridge 48 at the rim of the opening. The height of this ridge is preferably very small indeed, that is to say of the order of three thousandths of an inch. I also drill a small passage 4| through the frustum outside the ridge 48 to connect the passage 2| with the flat part of the upper end of the frustum 88.

the pilot valve is illustrated as closed in so far as the first stage is concerned and open as to the second stage. 7

Referring again to Fig. 3, 66 is a step-dow transformer of the type mentioned in my copending application Serial No.136,847, filed April 14, 1937. From the low voltage side of the transformer a conductor 81 leads to a contact 68 of a room thermostat or master thermostat 89. From the thermal element of this thermostat conductors 10, H and I2 extend to binding post The ridge 40 forms one seat of the valve and the upper surface of frustum 88 outside the ridge forms a second seat, so that the valve is what may be termed a two-stage valve. The valve piece 24 is rmessed on its under side to take a gasket 42 of leather or other suitable material which may be held in place by a split ring 48. A coil spring 44 bearing against the ring 48 tends to unseat the valve.

In the casting there is a drilled passage 48 that is controlled by a hand operated needle valve 46 with a knurled head 41, so that the flow through passage 2| and its valve may be bypassed if desired, as for instance in the event of difiiculties with the electric system, failure of current, or the like.

At one end of the cover I! there is a metal insert 48 in which there is a binding post 48. Two screws threaded into the insert 48 serve to mount one end of a bi-metal element 8 I the other end of which carries a button 82 which bears upon the upper surface of valve piece 24 and normally holds it depressed to an extent sufiicient to close both stages of the valve. The spring force in bi-metal element 5| must be suiilcient in a normal condition of the burner to overcome the force of spring 44, and in order to properly control this relation I provide an adjusting screw 53 with a lock nut 54, the screw 53 being threaded in a metal insert 58 in which is mounted a binding post 88. Near its outer end the bi-me'tal strip 5| carries a metal contact 51 which is adapted to engage a screw 58 that .is adjustably mounted in a metal insert II which carries a binding post 80. A lock nut 8| holds the screw 58' in its diflerent positions of adjustment.

At an intermediate point in its length bimetal element 5| is covered with an envelope of insulation 62, around which is wound' a heating coil 63. One end of the coil is enclosed in a sheet metal clamp 64 that serves also as a contact for engagement with the screw 58. The other end of the coil projects beyond the insulation 62 where it is fastened and electrically joined to the bi-metal element, as by a metal clamp 65. when the coil 68 is energized to heat the bi-metal element, the latter warps upwardly permitting the spring 44 to raise valve piece 24 so as to open both stages of the pilot valve, and thereafter to bring contact 51 into engagement, with screw 58. In Figs. 2 and i 88 of the heating coil unit, while from the binding post 48 of that unit a conductor 13 extends back to the transformer. A conductor I4 connects conductor 81 withigniter coil 38 from the other-side of which a conductor i8 extends to a contact 18 of the two-way switch H. The fixed end of the blade 81 of this switch is connected by a conductor 18 with the binding post of the heating coil unit. A second contact ll of the master thermostat is connected by a conductor with solenoid i4, and the latter is connected by a conductor 8| with the other contact 82 of the two-way switch 11. Contact 82 is the running contact, and with blade 31 constitutes the running switch to which reference has been made heretofore. Conductor in also extends down to a plate 88 which is adapted tobe electrically contacted by a head 84 on the armature I8 when the solenoid i4 is energized, and the head 84 is connected by a flexible conductor 85 with conductor 88.

Operation. When the premises are warm and the thermostat 88 is not calling for heat the system is in the condition illustrated in Fig. 3, and the pilot valve is closed completely, that is as to both stages. Now, when the conditions are such that the thermostat calls for heat it makes engagement first with the contact 88. When this occurs a circuit is set up from the transformer through conductor ",contact 68, thermostat 88, conductors 18, H and 12 to binding post 88, then through insert-.55, screw 53 and clamp 84 to heating coil 83, and through the bi-metal member II to insert 48 and back through binding post 48 and conductor 13 to the transformer. By this means the heating coil is energized, causing the bi-metal element to warp and open the pilot valve, and shortly thereafter to bring contact 8'! into engagement with screw 88.

There is then set up a circuit through the igniter as follows: From the transformer through conductors 61 and 14 to igniter 88, through the igniter and conductor II to switch contact 18, through the switch blade 81 and conductor 18 to binding post 68, insert 88, screw 88, contact'il, bi-metal element 8|, insert 48, binding post 49, and back to the transformer through conductor 18. The igniter coil then becomes incandescent and ignites the gas emerging from the port 30 in the pilot. The heating of the igniter coil is preferably intermittent, as explained in my said prior application. As soon as the pilot flame lights it plays upon the thermal element 82 and heats the latter, whereupon the lever 35 is swung upon its pivot to move switch blade 81 away from engagement with contact I8 and into engagement with contact 82. When theswitch blade 37 is shifted in this manner the circuit through lgniter 38 is broken and a circuit is set up through solenoid. l4, provided that the thermostat 65 has in the meantime moved to engage contact it. This circuit may be traced as follows: From the transformer through conductor 81, contact w,

' viously described.

thermostat 69, contactls, conductor 80, solenoid l4, and conductor 8| to switch contact 82, through switch blade 31 and conductor I8 to binding post 60, through the oi-metal element to binding post 49 and back through conductor I3 to the transformer. The solenoid- I4 is thereby energized and the main valve is opened,

admitting gas to the burner Ill which is ignited by flame emerging from the port 29 ofthe pilot. As soon as this occurs, the armaturel5 of the main valve is latched up .by a circuit from the thermostat through conductor III, plate 83, armature head 84, and flexible conductor 85, through solenoid l4 and back to the transformer through the two-way switch and the heating unit, as prethe thermostat do not serve to close the main valve, it being necessary for the thermostatnot only to break connection with contact I9 but also with contact 68 before the burner is turned ofi.

Now, when the furnace has heated the premises sufliciently to cause thethermostat to break connection with both of the contacts 19 and 68,

thecircuit through the heating coil is broken, the bi-metal element 5| moves down to its position of.Fig. 2, and the first stage of the pilot valve is closed. The flow of gas to the pilot is thereby much reduced andthe thermal element 32 gradually cools. Suflicient gas flows through the passaage 4| however to maintain a pilot flame large enough to ignite the main burner in' Hence slight movements of cause the switch blade 31 to break connection with the contact 82. After that it is desirable that the pilot valve be turned'ofl' completely, and that is what occurs in my system after the residual heat in the bi-metal element 5| is dissii pated. Then the button 52 pushes more firmly down upon the valve piece 24, causing the gasket 42 to engage the upper surface of frus-tum 39 outside the ridge 48 and beyond the passage 4|, when the flow of gas is cut off entirely.

In accordance with my invention the pilot flame must continue, after the opening of the room thermostat switch, until the blade 31 moves out of engagement with the running contact 82. Of course, if the reduced flame continues fora time after the running switch is opened no harm.

is done, and in fact the system is so'designed and regulated that the flame will thus continue for an appreciable length of time after the running switch is opened. I

Having thus described my invention, I claim: 1. In a control system for gas burners, pilot valve means comprising two seats each controlling a portion of the flow through the valve means, said valve means comprising also seat closure means serving when in one position to engage one of said seats and when advanced a further small increment to engage also the other of said seats, whereby a full or a partial flow of the event that the main v'alve l3 shouldbe opened again before the cooling of thermal ele-- ment 32 had brought about the movement of switch blade 31 away from contact 82. 0! course when the circuit is' broken at contact 82 no change in the thermostat setting can open the main valve again without the system passing through the complete lighting cycle.

The parts are so designed and adjusted that necessary for the thermal element 32 to cool and the pilot valve remains closed as to its first stage only, that is it remains in the condition of Fig. 4, for a period appreciably longer thanthe period gas to the pilot may be effected or the'flow cut oil entirely. I

2. In a control system for gas burners, a main burner, a pilot burner, pilot valve means com-, prising two seats each controlling a portion of the flow through the valve means, said valve means comprising also seat closuremeans serving when in one position to engage one or said seats and when advanced a further small increment to engage also the other of said seats, whereby a full or a partial flow of gas to the'pilot may be effected, and thermal means. responsive to the heat from the full pilot flame only for maintaining the main burner open.

- VILYNN O. BEAM. 

